awarded the Laureus

GAZA Neymar Jr World Cup Jersey , July 31 (Xinhua) -- A 17-year-old Palestinian teenager was killed Friday and another one moderately injured by Israeli soldiers' gunfire near the borders between northern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said.

Security officials said the soldiers opened fire at the two teenagers after they approached the fence of the borders north of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. There has been no immediate Israeli army comment to the incident.

The Israeli army stationed near the borders has built a 300-meter security no-go zone. Soldiers would open fire at anyone who gets close to the area.

The Gaza shooting coincided with a growing tension between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank after Israeli settlers set fire to a house near Nablus, killing an infant and wounding his parents and four-year-old brother.

SHANGHAI, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Li Na won her second Grand Slam, the Australian Open, and achieved a career-best ranking of World No. 2 in 2014, but it still remains a question whether she can win the sportswoman of the year in the Laureus World Sports Awards which will be announced Wednesday evening.

It is the second time Li Na was nominated for the award in Laureus, an Oscar-like ceremony after she became a candidate in 2012.

"It is hard to predict who will win this year," said former Olympic athletics champion Michael Johnson Tuesday morning. "Every candidate has chance to win."

Chinese names were engraved three times in Laureus Sports Awards history when Yao Ming, Liu Xiang won the newcomer award in 2003, 2005 respectively and the Chinese Olympic Team had the team award in 2009.

As a strong candidate, Li Na was favored by Yang Yang, Chinese first winter Olympic gold medalist and also a member of Laureus Academy.

"As a academy member, it is very hard for me to chose the best from the best," said Yang Yang. "But I think Li Na has a chance, she is a strong candidate."

"I am very happy to be nominated," said Li Na Tuesday. "All nominees are top class athletes."

Li Na has been a great pioneer for tennis in China. In 2014, she won her second Grand Slam at the Australian Open and achieved a career-best ranking of world No. 2. Howver, seven months later, she was forced to retire at 32 because of knee injuries.

Among other five candidates for the sportswoman of the year award, Serena Williams of the United States poses a threat to Li Na. Serena, three times Laureus winner - sportswoman's award (2003 and 2010) and comeback award (2007), rediscovered her form to win the US Open, her 18th Grand Slam victory, which put her level in the all time list with Chris Evert and Martina Martina Navatilova of the United States.

Valerie, for the fourth year in succession, ended the season undefeated, having won 14 competitions in which she competed, bringing her unbeaten steak to 56. She was named IAAF women's athlete of year after she won all seven Diamond League events and gold medals in the world indoor championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Both Bjorgen and Maze had their great performance in Sochi winter Olympic Games where Bjorgen became the most decorated female winter Olympian in history by winning three gold medals in the 15km Skiathlon, Team Sprint and 30km Freestyle events at 33 while the Slovenian skier had another memorable year when she won two gold medals, taking the Downhill gold, shared with Swiss Dominique Gisin, and the Giant Slalom. These were the first Olympic gold medals ever won by Slovenia.

The sportsman's award will be decided among Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Lewis Hamilton, Rory Mcilroy of Britain, Renaud Lavillenie of France, Marc Marquez of Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.

Djokovic, winner of Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award in 2012, won the Wimbledon for the second time, defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in the final in five sets in 2014. It was his seventh career Grand Slam title and his victory meant he replaced Rafael Nadal of Spain as world No. 1.

Marc, who was awarded the Laureus Breakthrough Award last year, won his second straight World MotoGP title, at the age of 21 in 2014. He opened the year with ten straight Grand Prix wins, then added three more to reach a season total of 13, beating the record of Australian Mick Doohan, who won 12 in 1997.

Cristiano, winner of the Ballon d'Or as World Player of the Year, was also named UEFA Player of the Year at the end of last season after scoring a record 17 goals for Real Madrid as they won the Champions League for the tenth time.

Lewis won his second Formula One World Championships with 11 Grand Prix victories in 2014 while his countryman Rory became the No.1 golfer in the world with victories in two Major Championships in 2014 - the Open and the USPGA.

Renaud jumped 6.16 meters in Donetsk in 2014 to break Ukrainian Sergey Bubka's pole vault world record of 6.15 meters, which had stood for almost 21 years. With 21 victories out of 22 competitions during the year, he was named IAAF Men's athlete of year.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier honors event on the international sporting calendar. The winners are selected by the votes of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 50 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time including Chinese table tennis legend Deng Yaping, Chinese gymnast Li Xiaopeng and Yang Yang.

BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Government support helped China's electric car production in October jump eightfold year on year to 50,700 vehicles, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Tuesday.